Police Scotland in Dumfries is asking shopkeepers to be on the alert for counterfeit banknotes after four shops at the Peel Centre in the town were hit with large counterfeit notes on Sunday 26 June 2016. The shops were all entered between 1540 hours and 1630 hours on Sunday by the following described man who tendered the note for a small priced item, thus receiving the maximum change for the transaction. Three of the shops accepted the notes whilst the fourth rejected it. The man is described as being white, in his mid 30s, between 5’6″ and 6′ tall, heavy set, short receding brown hair, stubble and was wearing a grey raincoat with a blue shoulder design, grey t-shirt and jogging bottoms.
Constable Stephanie Brown at Dumfries said “the usual pattern for this type of crime is the attempt to pass a very large note for a small priced item in the hope that it is accepted and the maximum amount of change is passed over. We want to hear from anyone who may have been in the Peel Centre on Sunday to get in touch if they can help identify this man. We also urge staff working in business premises to be alert for this type of crime and to get in touch with us through 101 if they come across such a scam.”
